Defining Mindfulness for Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

Discover the 4 processes that define what Mindfulness is for ACT

There are many definitions of what Mindfulness is. One of the clearest, in my opinion, is ACT – Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. This definition uses 4 components of psychological flexibility: flexible attention to the moment, acceptance, cognitive defusion and the self as context (observer self). In this text, I will explain about these components that help us define Mindfulness.

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flexible attention

We could start with any of the 4 processes. Let’s start with attention because Mindfulness has been translated as full attention to the present moment. Flexible attention, in ACT, means that attention is not fixed on the past, the future, or ruminations. Attention can be directed to what is happening here and now, to sensations in the body, for example, or to events in the environment.

Acceptance

Acceptance is an important concept in psychology since Carl Rogers. But it usually generates some confusion with the idea of ​​doing nothing. Acceptance means, in fact, openness to what is happening, and to what may happen now. Another way to say acceptance is to change it to the word availability (willingness, in English). That is, now, “I am willing to open myself to this moment, with everything it brings: sensations, emotions, thoughts, perceptions of what is outside of me, regardless of whether I have judgments of this or that being pleasant or unpleasant”.

cognitive defusion

We all think. But we are not always aware of what we are thinking. Over and over we simply believe thoughts as if they were real. For example, if I think “she doesn’t like me now that she’s met me” or “the day has sucked”, we are having thoughts. If we have a thought and immediately buy it as a truth, we have cognitive meltdown. Cognitive defusion is having the notion that “she doesn’t like me now that she’s met me” or “the day sucks” are thoughts. One or another thought may even have a grain of truth, but I am aware that I am thinking this or that.

self as context

I like to translate self as context as an observer. In English self is another word for I. Self as content is when the person confuses the I with the content of the thought: “I am incompetent” or “I do not deserve to be loved”. The I, in this case, equals the content. On the other hand, in the self as context, the I does not mix with the content, the I is the context that allows the content to be perceived, that is, the I is the I that observes the content, which gives the possibility for the content to be perceived. aware.

“I don’t deserve to be loved” = self as content

“I am thinking: I am not worthy of being loved” = cognitive defusion (seeing thought as thought)

“I’m observing that I’m thinking: I don’t deserve to be loved” (observer self and cognitive defusion).

Definition of mindfulness

Now that we’ve seen the 4 processes, we can move on to defining mindfulness as a psychological state that includes flexible attention, accepting the moment with cognitive defusion, and the observing self.

We can compare this definition with Jon Kabat-Zinn’s classic definition:

“The awareness that emerges when we pay attention on purpose in the present moment, with openness to experience and without judgment” (Jon Kabat-Zinn).

The awareness that emerges is related to the observing self (a self not fixed on a content about itself), while the openness to experience and the suspension of judgments bring us the same idea of ​​acceptance. Attention as purpose is attention that is flexible, that I can direct here and there, while defusion is the process that begins to emerge with practices. As we practice, we begin to notice that we have many thoughts. We are not these thoughts (observer self), but the thoughts just arise. By letting thoughts pass through the mind like clouds in the blue sky, we are developing cognitive defusion.

Want to learn more about mindfulness and practice? Join our study group! Meetings take place every Monday at 20:00 and you can watch later too if you can’t at the time. Sign up by clicking here

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